Last time, SpongeBob was excited about meeting a real prince. He'll be even more excited about being a real prince.

Enjoy the next chapter…

Chapter 2: Seeing Double

In the town of Bikini Bottom, the sounds of trumpets were heard and a caravan of seahorses being ridden by knights marched through Bikini Bottom with a large carriage being pulled by seahorses following in the middle. Many crowds of sea creatures were gathered on the sidewalk as they watch and cheer at the royal brigade. From inside the carriage, an old blue fish with a large white mustache poke his head out from the window and waved to the crowd.

Among the crowd was news reporter, Perch Perkins, "You see it here, folks." He announced to the camera. "Many have gathered here today in Bikini Bottom to witness the arrival of the royal heir to the throne of Luau Bottom. But many are wondering will we finally see the prince's identity."

The news report was being viewed inside the Krusty Krab on a small TV hanging from the ceiling. Mr. Krabs, Squidward, and SpongeBob were watching in anticipation and excitement.

"This is like a dream come true." Squidward said as he sighed longingly. "High class sophistication and culture coming this way. I could just die."

"I hear ya, Mr. Squidward." Mr. Krabs agreed until he reacted the same way. "High class means high fortune, and fortune means money. Everyone knows them royal folk are loaded with the stuff."

"A real prince who rules the land with kindness and fairness." SpongeBob said as he stared longingly while leaning through the window of the kitchen. "Patrick and I could have so much fun with him."

Then on the news, Perch Perkins announces, "As the royal caravan moves past the city, it appears to now be going past Seashell Drive."

Mr. Krabs gasped and realized, "That's in the direction of the Krusty Krab." Dollar signs suddenly appear in his eyes as he adds, "Royal folk have to eat too." Then he called out, "Attention Krusty Krew! We need to get this place spiffed up for a royal lunch rush!"

"Royalty!" SpongeBob shouted in excitement.

"SpongeBob!" Mr. Krabs called out. "Get to work on making dozens of krabby patties!"

"Aye aye, sir!" SpongeBob saluted before ducking his head back into the kitchen.

"What are you gonna do?" Squidward asked his boss.

Mr. Krabs took out a can of black paint. "I have some prices to raise."

On one of the tables where a mother fish was feeding her infant in a booster chair, she failed to notice the krabby patty in front of her suddenly sprout little legs and hop off the table. However, upon closer inspection, one could see it was easily Plankton lugging the krabby patty on his back in another attempt to steal one for his restaurant.

"Hope you enjoy the royal festivities, Krabs." Plankton said with a joyous smirk, "Because soon you'll be celebrating your royal defeat."

But before he could walk out the door, the krabby patty suddenly lifted into the air with Plankton still holding onto it. "I'll be taking that, Plankton." Mr. Krabs said proudly as he held the patty.

"Krabs!" Plankton shouted in surprise. "You're supposed to be gawking over the royalties coming."

"Even the royal folk can't shield you from makin' off with me secret formula." Mr. Krabs explained. "And since I'm in a good mood, I'll let you off easy this time."

So Mr. Krabs flicked Plankton out the door and as he flew back toward the Chum Bucket, Plankton yelled, "CURSE YOU, MR. KRABS!"


Meanwhile at the caravan that paraded through Bikini Bottom, inside the royal carriage was the prince, who was a yellow sponge with blue eyes and buck teeth, wearing royal red garments and a small crown. In fact, this prince looked exactly like SpongeBob. He sat inside the carriage with his arm resting on the window and his cheek on his palm as he sighed with a bored expression.

Inside the carriage as well sitting across from the prince was the old aged fish with a white moustache and wearing a black suit. He noticed the prince's expression and asked in concern, "Is there something wrong, Your Highness? You are not worried about your ill father, are you?"

The prince spoke in a voice identical to SpongeBob's but with a British accent, "We have been traveling for two days, Wenston. I most certainly would love to survey the places we've seen and perhaps mingle with the peasant folk we pass by."

Wenston chuckled and responded, "Oh, Your Highness, don't try and pull that old trick again. You know it's not in your position to trot around all willy-nilly; and besides, the orders of your father are to come straight home after we pass through Bikini Bottom."

"Yes, yes, can you really blame me for trying?" The prince responded in disappointment. "Father would not have me doing this if it weren't for his concern. Sometimes, I desire to just get away from all this." But then his stomach began growling. "I also desire some nutrition."

"I understand, Sire. I'll let the driver know." Wenston then turned around and moved the curtain window behind. "Find a place where we can get some food for the prince." He told the carriage driver.


Soon, the caravan reached the closest restaurant they can find, which just so happened to be the Krusty Krab. Inside the restaurant, Mr. Krabs began laughing madly as his eyes lit of with dollar signs.

From behind the cash register, Squidward was trying to get a peek out the window. "Where is he?" he wondered. "I can't see the prince."

Suddenly, the front doors opened up and the guards entered first as they formed a straight line as a red carpet happened to roll out, stopping in front of Mr. Krabs, who stared curiously at it. The one who entered and walked across the carpet was Wenston, who stopped in front of Mr. Krabs.

"Good afternoon, sir." He greeted as he bowed with the tip of his hat. "My royal traveling party and I were hoping to purchase some food at this eating establishment."

Mr. Krabs gave a chuckle again until Squidward approached with an anxious smile. "You must be the prince." He said with an eager smile. "You even more sophisticated than I anticipated."

Wenston chuckled as he kindly explained, "Oh, you must have me confused for His Majesty. The prince is actually waiting in the carriage. Unfortunately, he won't be joining us. Though he is rather hungry and we would like to pick up some food for His Majesty so we can be on our way."

Hearing that he won't be learning the prince's identity, Squidward frowned in disappointment and walked away.

But outside, the carriage door on the side facing away from the restaurant opened up and the prince quickly and quietly stepped out and began to sneak away. Once he was on the other side of the building, he sighed, "Finally…I thought I'd never get away."

From the back door of the Krusty Krab, SpongeBob was carrying a large trash can full of garbage as he hummed to himself while walking toward the dumpster. After he dumped all the garbage out, he began walking back inside. However, the can obstructed his view and he failed to notice the prince walking backwards toward him, who in turn failed to notice the large trash can approaching from behind.

The two sponges then collided as SpongeBob's trash can flew onto the prince's head. SpongeBob crash backwards into another trash can that landed on his head as well. "What the devil-fish is going on here?" The prince asked as he stood up with the can on his head. "Is this some kind of joke?"

The two sightlessly walked toward each other until they bump their cans together and fell backwards onto the ground which caused the cans to fall off their heads. As they sit up, dazed, they soon catch sight of each other, and their eyes widen in shock at seeing the strange resemblance. They both slowly sat up at the same time and stared at each other while lifting one hand up and took a step to the left and then two the right at the exact same time as if they were looking at their own reflection in a mirror.

"You look like me!" They both shouted in unison. "Wait a minute!" Then they both fell backwards in shock.

The prince was the first to get up as he looked at SpongeBob again. "Are you a real beggar boy?"

"A what?" SpongeBob asked in confusion, never hearing of such an old term before.

The prince then pulled SpongeBob onto his feet. "Tell me, do all commoners dress in such a ridiculous fashion?"

"Who?"

"Of all days when I choose to make off from my cavalcade, I actually meet a peasant who looks just like he could be of royal blood like me."

Hearing the word 'royal', SpongeBob begins to realize who it is he's talking to. "Wait a second…" he then gets a huge smile on his face, "You must be the prince everyone's been talking about!"

"That would be correct, my dear identical gentleman." He then puts an arm around SpongeBob's shoulders. "Come. Let us discuss this in my quarters."


Inside the Krusty Krab, a guard was carrying away a bag of food as Mr. Krabs totaled Wenston off at the front counter. "Let's see. That's two krabby patties, two sides of kelp fries, a diet and a regular kelp cola, and one order of Coral Bits. That'll be 400 dollars."

"400?" But Wenston was surprised by the total. "Isn't that a little pricey for commoner food?"

"Well, you ain't a commoner, are ye?" Mr. Krabs said with a smug smile while Wenston frowned in annoyance.


Inside the carriage, the prince and SpongeBob sat next to each other as they shared in conversation about their daily lives. "Wow," SpongeBob said, trying to hold in his excitement as much as he can. "It must be so great being a prince."

"To tell you the truth, SpongeBob, it is quite dreadful." The prince responded to SpongeBob. "It's always breakfast at seven, lessons till noon, and bedtime at nine. And if that's not the case, my father will send me away for a week- if it hadn't been for that little incident."

But SpongeBob wasn't really listening since he was trying to think of all the things he wanted to ask the prince. "Do you really fire catapults at enemy kingdoms and eat pizza and ice-cream all day?"

The prince stared dully at SpongeBob and replied, "I've never heard of such a thing. I'm not allowed junk food. Oh, how I envy your freedom, being able to go where you like without guards following you, and never having to be the target of-"

"Are you saying you wanna trade places with me?" SpongeBob suddenly asked. "To know what a commoner's life is like?"

"What?" the prince asked as his eyes widen.

"You must be so sad, lonely, and bored in your palace that you wanna get out and see the world and know what it's like to be normal for one day of your life." While the prince was still confused by this observation, his eyes suddenly widen with an idea. "Oh, it's just like this story my mom used to read to me."

"Why…yes." The prince said with a grin. "I do desire all of what you just spoke of. Being able to play all day long and stay up as late as I like and frolic with all the little peasants." The prince then notices his and SpongeBob's reflection in the window and he suddenly pulled his doppelganger close as he took off SpongeBob's uniform hat and replaced it with his crown. "Yes…That's it!"

From outside, the carriage begins to rock back and forth until the door opens and the prince jumps out, now wearing SpongeBob's clothes and uniform hat. "This is perfect." The prince said as he admired his new attire. "Simply perfect."

SpongeBob poked his head out of the carriage, now wearing the prince's outfit and looking baffled by all this. "Now hold on a minute! Are you sure about all this?"

"Why, of course. We're living each other's lives for the day, just as you suggested." The prince reminded, but seemed to be wearing a smug smile.

"But how am I supposed to be a prince!" SpongeBob cried out. "What will I say? How will I act?"

"To govern is easy." The prince simply explained. "Just say one of two things, 'It's a grand idea, I'm glad I thought of it.' And 'Guards, seize him!' And if I get into any trouble I'll have this." He showed SpongeBob a gold ring embedded with his family symbol around his finger. "Well, SpongeBob, good luck." He called as he turned away, but then muttered, "You'll need it."

"But you'll remember to come back, right?" but the prince slammed the carriage door closed and walked away while SpongeBob stared out the window with a nervous frown on his face. "Good luck too, Your Majesty."

Who has the easier life? And why would they be so willing to give it up? Hope you enjoy it so far and leave a review.